Ferret
by Zellarest
Summary: Albus and an inevitable encounter with local ferret, Scorpius Malfoy, leads to a duel and an unexpected injury. /No pairings. Duels equal violence. But nothing extraordinarily severe.


For Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts! "Students are to write a story based on a duel; stories are to be no longer than 1000 words and no shorter than 500 words."

Optional prompts used:

Words: Bloody Hell

Action: A character must break an arm

Era: Next-Gen

Genre: Violence

Sentence: Ha! You missed, Potter! What are you going to do now?

Event: Going to the Hospital Wing

Words: 835

.,.,.,.

What seemed like a million voices bounced off the walls and reverberated in the vast hall. His eyes, a muted emerald green, glanced over the tables and caught the occasional brief smile and wide grin or two from young students. The eldest students, who dreaded their looming exams, often isolated themselves from others and rarely conversed. Albus found them particularly boring.

Then, before he could rake his eyes over the last table, there was a loud clatter to his left. On instinct he turned and saw the red bushy hair and too-large robes of his companion. Rose clambered to retrieve her scrolls, crawling underneath the table for some rogue quills.

"Rose, what're you doing? If McGonagall sees you..." he trailed off, noticing the dark shadow that was cast over the stone.

Albus came face to face with Headmistress McGonagall. Her lips were drawn into a fine line, her harsh grey hair pulled back into its signature stiff bun.

"G'morning, Professor. I imagine you're well?" he asked casually, digging his thumbnail into his index finger.

Rose stumbled to her feet. She avoided the Professor's unnerving eyes as she squeaked, "Pardon me Professor, I didn't mean to cause a disruption."

"You should both be off to class," she informed them flatly.

Albus knew what this meant. And he took it in stride as Rose spluttered.

He conjured a tight smile. "Right you are, Professor. Let's go Rose."

Rose still stumbled over her words as Albus led her out of one hall and into the other. When he glanced around the hall, he caught the amused expression of one silver-and-green tied Scorpius Malfoy. Albus quickly averted his gaze and almost began to run toward the exit. No sooner had he and Rose reached the broom closet did Albus release her arm. She looked to him with a questioning gaze.

Albus sighed in exasperation. "Could you please get a new bag? One more slip and next time, instead of McGonagall, it'll be Mathiga." he told her, referring to their batty Caretaker.

Rose nodded quickly, fully aware of the dangers Mathiga presented.

They arrived at lunch twenty minutes late, to both the fault of Rose and Peeves, who threw books at anyone who walked through the main way to the Entrance Hall. The detour had cost them precious time.

As soon as the sighs of relief tumbled past their lips, a familiar voice rang out in the hall. "Well well, if it isn't Potty and Bushy. Can't say I didn't expect you here."

Albus didn't hesitate before saying, "It's lunch, how could you not?"

"Albus," Rose warned.

"Getting smart with me, eh Potter?"

"I don't know. Am I, _ferret_?"

Scorpius sneered at the use of his father's old nickname. Albus smirked while simultaneously lowering his wand from inside his sleeve. He was preparing for a fight. An ugly one, if Scorpius was involved.

"I see we're getting ahead of ourselves."

The wand was pointed at him before he could lift a finger. "_Baubillious_!" he yelled.

Albus pushed Rose as he ducked from the shocking yellow arc of electricity. "Bloody hell," he whispered.

"Albus!" Rose yelped.

He turned just in time to block an amateur, "_Stupefy_!"

"_Diffindo_!" he shouted, slashing his wand at Scorpius.

"Ha! You missed, Potter. What are you going to do now?"

"I didn't miss," he stated. glancing at the banner above his head.

An awful rip tore through the air and the whole banner came down on Scorpius. He screamed in rage before being enveloped by the scarlet mass of velvet. Albus saw him struggle to escape the fabric. Before he could order Rose away, Scorpius had emerged from it.

"Why you... _Bombarda_!" he spat.

The ground at their feet exploded and both Albus and Rose were thrown ten feet into the air, slamming hard into the golden statue that stood in front of the windows.

That was when the Entrance Hall was suddenly packed with students, young and old alike. Headmistress McGonagall broke through the crowd, looking absolutely livid.

"Potter! Weasley! Malfoy! What in the name of Merlin do you call this?" she screeched.

Then a younger kid shouted, "I think they're injured, Professor!"

Albus was seeing spots in his vision, and it would fade to white at certain intervals. When it did, a blinding pain would shoot up his arm and elicit an agonized moan from his lips.

"Wood, go fetch Madame Pomfrey! Now!" Professor McGonagall barked at an older, buff looking kid.

He nodded and raced off up the staircases.

"Malfoy, stay!" she ordered, a terrifying authority to her voice that made everyone wince. "Potter, where does it hurt?"

"My arm," he gasped. "I think it's broken."

She nodded grimly and turned to Rose. "Are you hurt?" She shook her head. "Go fetch Professor Festra."

Rose raced off in the same direction of the buff guy.

"Don't worry Potter, we'll get you to the Hospital Wing," were the last words he heard before his vision went blank and the whole world became numb.


End file.
